Of Vipers and Physics
by strawberrypockygrapefanta
Summary: Kaidoh doesn't know there's another data-geek in Seigaku. He's about to meet her. kaidohxOC
1. Chapter 1

**disclaimer:** I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of the characters... and that just makes me sad.

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**Chapter I**

Inui-senpai was talking to a girl Kaidoh recognized from his class; she was a member of the Physics Club but he didn't really know her.

The girl wore glasses that were very much like Inui's; she had long straight black hair and was as tall as Inui's shoulder.

Kaidoh couldn't tell anything from her expression but Inui looked mildly interested in whatever she was saying.

The rest of the regulars were looking on in interest. Well, except for Tezuka who looked like he was about to make Inui run laps.

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"…it won't bother your practice Inui-senpai, in fact I think it would even help." Kaidoh just caught the tail end of whatever it was the girl was telling Inui.

"Alright Kanehara-san but I'll have to talk to the captain first."

"Thank you Inui-senpai."

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Inui walked to Tezuka and they began a hushed conversation until Tezuka nodded and Inui walked back to the girl.

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"Alright, Kanehara-san, the captain has agreed to your request but you must explain yourself after practice."

"Of course Inui-senpai and again, thank you."

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Kaidoh wasn't sure but he thought he saw the girl smirk. He remembered her now.

Kanehara Maia, the 2nd year who was vice-president of the Seishun Gakuen Physics Club.

He remembered that the club had won the regional Physics Quiz just the week before and Kanehara was the highest scorer of all the players.

She was supposed to be really smart but didn't seem to be very friendly.

Aside from the other Physics club members she only had one friend who was from the other sophomore class.

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Kaidoh almost hissed at the delay she was causing but was cut short by Inui who was now standing in one side of the court and waiting for him to take his place.

When he walked onto the court he saw that Kanehara had moved to Inui's usual spot when he was recording data from their practice games.

She even had a clipboard and pencil ready.

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The rally was long and hard and as was typical when playing against Inui's tennis, very frustrating.

It was difficult to get shots past someone who had all your data and thus knew your playing style like the back of his hand, not to mention that the said player also managed your training and had a fairly good idea of your limits and how your mind worked.

Kaidoh was proud of his endurance but Inui was still ahead of him in that department since Inui did 2.25 times more training than him.

Kaidoh was hissing by the second half of the game and by the time Inui scored the winning point, he was almost panting.

Nothing was ever just a practice game with Inui-senpai, or with any regular for that matter, as Kaidoh noted when he looked over at the other game where Momo and Kawamura-senpai were practically burning up the court.

Kanehara had also moved on to that game by then. Kaidoh noted that the Captain and Coach Ryuzaki were both keeping a close eye on her.

She was barely looking at her clipboard as she scribbled whatever it was she was looking for in the game.

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After practice Kanehara walked back to Inui and waited for Tezuka to join them.

Their glasses flashing in the sunlight, Inui and Kanehara were now discussing whatever she had recorded on her clipboard  
and Inui had taken out his familiar green notebook and from time to time was glancing at his notes as if to confirm what  
Kanehara was telling him.

A line had creased on his forehead between his eyes.

Tezuka was just listening to the discussion with his arms crossed across his chest.

The air was heavy with tension and Oishi was progressively getting more frazzled  
as Kikumaru jumped around him and tugged at his jacket sleeve  
with demands that he go see what the goings on were about.

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"You'll see that that's not all the Physics Club can do Inui-senpai. Didn't you after all consider joining us when you were a freshman?  
From this data, I can calculate the errors made in each player's game and come up with a solution to correct them.  
Throw in a little Statistics and we can predict probabilities of matches going one way or another.  
You yourself are doing the same thing aren't you, Senpai?  
I know it takes more than just numbers to play tennis but it still is just physics."

"What exactly are you asking the Tennis team Kanehara-san?"

"In behalf of the Physics Club, I am asking that you allow us to record your data and find ways to use that data to improve the team's performance.  
In return you allow us to use the results of this study in the National Physics competition as the club's group entry in the Applications category of the contest."

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The tennis club froze. A tic had formed above Tezuka's right eye. Echizen pretended not to choke on his Ponta at what he heard.  
Kikumaru succeeded at pulling down Oishi's jacket sleeve but almost fell down at Kanehara's words.

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"Will this include analyses of the members' play styles and moves?"

"Yes."

"Then the answer is no. The tennis team will not allow distribution of the players' game styles and moves  
which could possibly endanger the upcoming Nationals tournament.  
There is a 100% possibility that other teams can use this data to their advantage when playing against Seigaku.  
We cannot let our guard down."

Inui's answer would have made Tezuka proud but Kanehara was not yet finished.

"What if I say that with the Physics Club's help you can be sure that you will all be playing your best at the Nationals?  
As one objective of this study will be to possibly eliminate any and all weaknesses that we may find? "

Glasses flashing Inui looked at Tezuka, silently asking the Captain to take over.  
But before he could fix Kanehara with the Buchou-glare Coach Ryuzaki cut in.

"There really is no more question about it. Ichihara-sensei already talked to me about this and I have agreed.  
This collaboration will benefit not only both clubs but the school as well so we will be working together.  
Kanehara-chan is here today to show you what the Physics club is capable of.  
I have already made it a condition that she will be the only member to attend the practices.  
We don't need too many people crowding the courts.  
Alright, break it up! Practice is done for the day.  
Kanehara, just give a copy of your data to Inui so he can have a look at it and discuss it later with the team."

The Coach's words almost seemed to diffuse the heavy air over the club and the members all started to go their own ways.

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As Kaidoh turned around he saw a small smile had formed on Kanehara's lips as she handed the papers to Inui.

"I hope it meets your satisfaction, Senpai." She used the exact same tone that Echizen used to taunt his senpais.

Kaidoh hissed and started to walk away. He didn't like this girl.

In his rush Kaidoh missed the look Kanehara threw at him.  
Her glasses glinted, obscuring her eyes but one eyebrow had lifted at the viper's reaction. And as Inui often said…

"Iie data."

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If you got this far...

Then you have my utmost gratitude for actually spending time on this story so **PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE** give me some more of your time and

**review/comment/whatever/even flame** this story.

I know the title is really lame but I'll work on that.

And I still have to figure out the line breaks or whatever you call them. I write really long sentences that really aren't healthy for your eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**disclaimer: **nope, i don't own any of this.

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**Chapter 2**

Kanehara was watching as Fuji and Oishi played. The tensai and the playmaker both seemed relaxed and in no way in a hurry.

She had specifically chosen this pair for today because of the silent competition going between her and Inui.

They were both going after the tensai's elusive data.

Although Inui had already figured out how the tensai did the triple counters it turned out that  
Fuji could constantly alter the little details that prevented Inui from predicting the exact results each time Fuji did one of the counters.

Because of this it seemed that Fuji had started scheming against her and Inui in an effort to make their job harder.

Kanehara had already listed 32 alterations for the tsubame gaeshi that Fuji had used to foil Inui's predictions.

Shoot. There it was again. Kanehara's eyes narrowed at the shift in the way Fuji gripped the racket. He had changed the tsubame gaeshi. Again.

"That's another excellent way of doing the tsubame gaeshi, Senpai."

Fuji just smiled at Kanehara but then he was always smiling wasn't he?

Although this time Kanehara was sure that he was also laughing at her.

It really was too bad that Inui juice had absolutely no effect on him. She really loved this little fight with Fuji-senpai.

It was almost like doing battle with a master strategist.

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"Hoi, hoi Fujiko! Are you being mean to Maika-chan? Nya!"

Eiji-senpai had jumped on Kanehara again.

She now just couldn't think of him as Kikumaru-senpai with the way he was always hugging and pestering everybody.

Anybody else was an old lady when compared to Eiji's energy.

He was now cheering his doubles partner and berating Fuji for being a mean senpai to Maika.

Kanehara just laughed at the redhead's antics.

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The week that she had been working with the regulars had been surprisingly enjoyable.

Collaborating with Inui had inspired her competitive nature especially when they had started the data collecting contest.

Oishi and Kawamura were just very nice and polite although Kawamura could get a little too excited once he got his hands on a racket.

She had a great time working with Eiji who absolutely loved being the center of attention  
when she had asked him to show her his acrobatic moves during a game.

Echizen was so intense when it came to tennis but he didn't seem to mind her when she came around with her clipboard.

Tezuka was scary at first but she had gotten used to the buchou glare and actually felt smug that he couldn't make her run laps like the members.

She certainly enjoyed Fuji's perverse way of being friends and Momo was just funny in that he seemed to take a lot of pleasure in annoying Kaidoh.

Kaidoh Kauro.

Now there was another story.

The hissing would definitely increase in intensity every time Momo picked fights with him  
especially when Momo would point out that Kaidoh was stupid by not even bothering to talk to her.

Not that Kaidoh actually did much talking with anybody. And Kanehara certainly felt uncomfortable around Kaidoh.

Sure, he looked scary but she always had a feeling that he just didn't like her.

Maybe it was time to work with Kaidoh now. She had been putting it off since that first day when it had seemed that he had hissed at her.

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I'm just sort of easing the story into kaidoh territory, let you know how kanehara is working with the rest of the team.=)

oh and i really don't want to make kanehara mary sue-ish, so comments would be appreciated.=)


	3. Chapter 3

**disclaimer:** i. don't. own. PoT.

**Chapter 3**

This was not working. Kanehara was ready to scream in frustration. She was going to tear that bandanna into shreds _after_ she bashed his head in with a racket.

How could anybody be this ill-tempered? Was he born with that look on his face or had his muscles frozen in place from a lifetime of scowling?

She was pretty sure she'd be reduced to hissing herself if he so much as passed that glare in her direction. Again.

No wonder Momo-kun always picked on Kaidoh. It was so easy to get a rise out of him. How did he ever win any tennis games if he couldn't keep his cool? Probably by glaring the other guy to death. Or scowling at them until they turned to stone.

Kanehara kept her face calm as she worked on her clipboard but her knuckles were white, belying the irritation she felt at Kaidoh Kauro.

But her scientist's brain was impressed. All the regulars had moves that made Kaidoh's own seem almost plain, but when she had seen the training menu that Inui had prepared for him, and he had assured her that Kaidoh adhered to it religiously, she had to stop a moment to take it all in.

Everyday, three ten-mile runs, push-ups, sit-up, swings… where did he find the time to have a life? When she asked him, Inui-senpai had only blinked. At least she thought he did since she couldn't see past his glasses.

Now that she thought of it, not once had she ever seen him out of breath or even sweating hard. Not even after the infamous Tezuka-laps. It seemed like he could probably run laps around Japan. That kind of endurance was sure something. Robotic, almost.

This project was just too amazing. The kind of work she was doing was going to make the Physics club shine at the Nationals. But if you thought of it, the regulars were all kind of freaks. And she was just like them, a Physics freak. Kanehara sighed. It really was too bad that…

Kaidoh glanced at Kanehara. He had noticed the moment she stopped working when he lost the feeling of her eyes following the game.

She wasn't even paying any attention now but was instead looking out at the walk that led to the front of the school building.

Looking in the same direction, he saw some girls who looked like they were members of the Ballet club.

One of the girls waved at Kanehara and she answered with one of her own. That was probably Riku-chan. He had heard that idiot Momoshiro mouthing off about Kanehara's cute friend.

Kanehara wasn't exactly cute. She was in fact a little scary. Not that she scared him, but anybody who got along really well with Fuji-senpai and got that particular maniacal gleam in their eyes… You had to be wary of that.

She did seem to get along well with Eiji-senpai but he was always friendly with everybody.

Of course, Inui-senpai and Tezuka-buchou would be interested in whatever she was doing for her project but the only time he had ever seen her really let loose was when that baka Momoshiro was flirting with her. That was the first time he had heard her laugh.

"Oi Kaidoh! Keep your head in the game!" Momo shouted when Kaidoh missed an easy shot. The idiot was too busy glaring at Kanehara to pay attention to the game. "Quit mooning over Maika-chan will you? Or are you sick of your spot on the team and want to hand it over to me?"

Kaidoh hissed. He was going to kill that loudmouth.

Kanehara jerked when she heard her name and only just noticed that everyone's attention was focused on the shouting match going on. Although it was really just Momo who was shouting and Kaidoh hissing.

What was up with Kaidoh? Thought Momo. He had seemed distracted lately and far too easy to irritate.

He was always intense, but this time he was just too tense. Hell, he wasn't even paying attention to this game and they were supposed to be rivals.

Momo narrowed his eyes when Kaidoh adjusted his grip on the racket and hissed at him. Good, at least his concentration was back.

Kaidoh killed Momo. Almost. After several smashes that barely missed Momo's face, Kaidoh won the game and firmly impressed in Kanehara's mind that he was indeed a monster.

Momo staggered off the court and barely made it to the bench she was sitting on. A big grin was on his face.

"Playing with the Mamushi is amazing. He doesn't know the meaning of giving up. I'm going to beat him next time."

"Aren't you mad you lost?"

"No, playing against somebody like that, knowing that they're giving all they've got without any plans off backing down… It makes you happy even if you lose. Kaidoh may be my rival on the team but he's also a friend and a tennis player that I respect."

"What about your fights?"

"Eh? It's just that he's so easy to piss off that I can't help myself." Momo smirked up at her and Kanehara burst out laughing.

"You guys are weird."

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"Maika-chan! We're going out for burgers later, you wanna come?"

"Can't, sorry. I'm seeing Riku-chan later."

"Yeah? Say hi for me will you?"

"You know each other?"

"No, but just say hi anyway." Momo winked at her.

"Oh, okay…"

So now he was asking her out for burgers? Momo only ever did that with one of the regulars and to be asking a girl to go out for burgers meant that they were really getting along well.

Kaidoh's glare was now directed at Momo. He still hadn't quite forgiven the boy for the earlier game.

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"You were let off early today." Maika said as she spooned up some ice cream from her dish.

"Uh-huh. The last recital went really well so we're taking it easy this week." Riku made a face that made Maika laugh.

"You hate it that much?"

"It's so boring! I know it's good for us but doing plies all afternoon is not fun!" she whined. "For you, it would be like doing multiplication exercises the whole afternoon when you've memorized the times tables since you were _four_."

"Okay, okay. But you know, I always liked doing basic exercises when we were little. It was so soothing and I could see where all the angles were wrong. Come on, if it weren't for those basics classes we would never have had become friends. They can't be all that bad." Maika smiled at Riku.

"Not bad, just _really_ boring. I wish you didn't stop ballet, Maika. You left me alone and friendless." Riku pouted at a surprised Maika. "And I had to beat up all those girls who tried to bully me."

"Which you thoroughly enjoyed." Maika replied drily.

"Well, that's true but still it would be nice to have your bestfriend there. Although if you kept dancing I'm not sure if we would have stayed friends."

'Huh?"

Well… You're a great dancer Maika, and we would eventually have started going against each other for parts and I know how much of a bitch _I _can get when it comes to dancing." Riku said quietly.

"Oh, Riku…" Maika didn't know what to say.

"I hated dancing you know." Maika said tentatively. "And I hated that you had something you loved so much."

Riku looked up in surprise.

"I had more fun playing with the projects my dad's students were always taking home for him to check and I was starting to learn about Physics that time so I probably wouldn't have stayed on dancing much longer. But, well… I do kinda get jealous that you have something so _normal_. I mean, I'm like a freak. Who gets Physics but nerds anyway?" Maika was smiling at Riku, hoping that her friend would cheer up.

"Normal?" Riku was hooting now. "Who said a ballet dancer was normal? We have to contort ourselves and go through painful training. I have ugly feet. And I can't eat junkfood. In my opinion that's not normal for a teenager to be doing." Riku was grinning by the time she got to the end of her sentence, relieving Maika.

"Why don't you tell me about this project you're working on? You get to be surrounded by all these boys. I heard that the regulars are all cute?"

"Well…" Maika began to tell Riku about the tennis team with neither one noticing the small group that had spotted them in the ice cream parlor.

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"Hoi-hoi! Isn't that Maika-chan? Wow! She looks so pretty and she's with her friend too! Nya!" Eiji was the first to spot the two girls in the ice cream place and he dragged the entire team over to the plate glass window.

The girls were surprised from their conversation when somebody tapped on the glass. Eiji-senpai, Fuji-Senpai, Oishi-senpai, Momo and Kaidoh, and Echizen-kun were standing on the other side. Eiji was jumping up and down, motioning for them to come out while Oishi-senpai ineffectually tried to get him to calm down.

The girls, having finished their ice cream decided to go out so Kanehara could introduce her friend to the boys. Momo was unusually quiet and confirmed Maika's suspicion that he did have a crush on Riku. She'll have to talk to him about that.

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"Momo was the one who said hi, right?"

"Yes." Maika glanced at her friend.

"Is he nice?"

"Uh-huh. He's funny too, though a little loud." Maika tried to stop herself from grinning. Riku was so transparent. Her friend was interested in Momo. She supposed her two friends would now be bugging her to help them get to know each other better.

"He likes you, you know."

"Who? Momo? Of course not!"

"No, not him. He better not." Riku grumbled. Her friend was definitely interested. "The other one, the one who keeps his eyes closed all the time."

"Huh? Fuji-senpai? What makes you think so?"

"Well, when you're not looking, he keeps looking at you, and he opens his eyes."

"I don't think so…"

"Well, nobody but me noticed. Oh, except for that other guy. The one with the bandanna. He was the only one who noticed, aside from me, that is."

"He's cute too, you know."

"Fuji-senpai?"

"No, the bandanna-guy. In an intense kind of way. He really looks at you, but when you look his way, he sort of drops his eyes."

"You had too much sugar, Riku-chan. You're starting to see things."

"No, really. I think it's kinda cute actually, him being so shy and all. This is really exciting Maika…" Riku was grinning at her friend who was now utterly confused.

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this chapter was getting too long so i cut it short because i have an exam tomorrow morning.

why do i get these urges to write on the night before i have exams? why?

tell me what you think.=)

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	4. Chapter 4

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**disclaimer: **as much as i want to but i can't. afford prince of tennis, that is. somebody, buy it for me?

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**Chapter 4**

"But Maika-chan I have to practice too and Buchou's gonna get mad if I sit around talking to Asai-san and I wouldn't know what to say to her anyway!" A panicked Momo had burst out with a wild look in his eyes. Kanehara had to stop herself from laughing. Riku was going to flip.

"Relax, Momo-kun. She won't get here till later when they're done with their practice. You don't have to worry about talking to Riku, just sort of wave to her later when she gets here so she knows someone's watching out for her. Sakuno-chan and Tomo-chan can keep her company while she watches the rest of the drills."

"But what am I gonna say to a _girl_?"

"I'm a girl, aren't I? And you're talking to me, aren't you?

"B-but, but..." Riku was going to love this, he was actually spluttering.

"Oh go away, Momoshiro, I'm working." Kanehara then turned her back on him so he wouldn't see her smile.

Fuji was smiling as he walked over to Kanehara.

"Saa, Kanehara-san... what are you planning for Momo-kun?"

Maika flushed. Why did she have to flush now? It made her look like a tomato and Fuji-senpai had his eyes open. The one time she had to flush it had to be when he opened his eyes.

"Nothing Fuji-senpai, he was just bugging me a little."

"So you told him to bug your friend?" Fuji inclined his head to the benches. Riku had arrived and Momo was talking to her. It didn't seem too bad but he kept scratching his head. It made him look like he had lice.

"Ah... Asai-san and Momoshiro-kun are both interested in action manga. 89%, they are talking about manga; 48% they will ask for permission to leave together. The bookstore has received a new shipment of manga."

"I-Inui-senpai?" He was now mumbling about things Riku and Momo had in common, something Maika was sure he had to have absolutely no way of knowing.

"Saa, you should let us in on this Kanehara-san." Fuji-senpai was looking at her directly, making her nervous.

"No thank you, senpai. I think they'll do alright on their own. Oh, I have to talk about something with Kaidoh-kun." She had spotted the boy on the opposite bench and hurriedly walked over. Inui-senpai in stalker mode was creepy, Fuji-senpai with his eyes open was just disturbing. This was all Riku's fault, if she hadn't said those things Maika wouldn't be feeling so self-conscious around the tensai. Although he did keep looking at her with his eyes opened...

Oops. She must really be out of it. Running away from Fuji-senpai brought her to somebody even more disturbing but she couldn't turn around now. Kaidoh-kun had noticed her approach and was looking at her warily.

Kanehara-san was red. Her glasses hid her eyes but the ponytail that held her hair up exposed her neck, which was red too. Behind her, Inui-senpai was busy stalking that idiot Momo and Asai-san but Fuji-senpai, instead of whispering with the other boy, was just looking at Kanehara-san. He could see his blue eyes from way over here.

"Kaidoh-kun, I have some things to ask you about your training menu." Kanehara-san was all business now, her colour had even faded to its usual pale-white. "I thought since you were doing all this endurance training if there might be any problems in other areas. If there are, we can probably fix them." Kaidoh's scowl eased out, much to Kanehara's relief.

"Strength training."

"Oh yes, Inui-senpai had mentioned that but I guess he's too busy right now." They both glanced at their senpai who was still riffling through the pages of his notebook. " You could try what he does, though. Inui-senpai wears his weights the whole day. But I'll have to calculate the optimum amount of weight that you could use without compromising your present training."

Kaidoh looked at her. Kanehara was completely immersed in her clipboard and the figures she was drawing out on it. Her lips were moving almost imperceptibly and her glasses were sliding down her nose. In one efficient movement, she pushed them back into place and resumed her intent study of her clipboard. A light breeze blew a few strands of her hair but he supposed its weight mostly kept it lying down on her back. It was so thick and weighed heavily on her shoulders. Her wrists were also fine-boned. Tennis wouldn't suit her bone structure at all but then it didn't seem to suit a Physics-geek either.

Kaidoh was broken out of his study of Kanehara when Tezuka brought them to attention for practice.

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Maika was doodling on her notebook. If Eiji-senpai increased the angle at which he hit Kikumaru Beam by 8⁰ it would increase the speed by approximately 2.3 meters. Which would increase the difficulty of returning the shot with a forehand by 83%, a backhand by 67%... Of course that was not counting the possibilities of the return shot going out or the effect of gravity on its acceleration... Her stomach rumbled.

"Kanehara-san, aren't you going to the cafeteria?"

Oh right, Kaidoh-kun sometimes ate lunch in the classroom. They were the only ones left there.

"Erm... No, I'm not hungry." She smiled weakly when her traitorous stomach rumbled. Loudly.

"You are."

"I didn't bring lunch." It was no use denying it, not when her belly was protesting this loudly. She hadn't had breakfast and dinner last night. Her dad was out of town for a convention and had forgotten the grocery money for this week and her allowance had run out yesterday. Having the absent-minded professor as your dad was hard.

"Aren't you going to buy any food?"

Kanehara just shook her head. How did she explain without making him think she had an irresponsible parent? Her dad just sort of forgot things when he was working. Very much like her, since she had forgotten to remind him of the grocery money.

She probably didn't have any money or... No, Kanehara-san didn't seem like the type to go on diets. Yes, she must not have any money. Well, he couldn't eat in front of her without offering her food could he?

Kanehara looked at his back when Kaidoh stood up and left the room. She was starting to have a headache from being too hungry. Please don't let him think she was on some girl-diet. That was just so... Stupid.

When Kaidoh got back in the room, he was carrying cans of soda and a bowl of soup. A clear plastic box of sushi was peeking out of his uniform pocket. Great. Could this get any worse? The room spun. Oh it could, if she fainted.

Alarmed, Kaidoh rushed to her side. She looked like she was about to faint. Her skin was clammy and she was paler than usual. Her skin was almost translucent.

"Ne, Kanehara-san... Here eat something." Supporting her with one arm, he pried off the lid on the plastic bowl of soup and brought a spoonful to her lips.

"Slowly." The soup warmed her belly and almost immediately relieved her dimming vision.

"Are you feeling better?" Kaidoh's question a few spoonfuls later brought her position to attention. She was still leaning against his arm and she hurriedly straightened in her seat. Kaidoh-kun was crouched on the floor next to her chair.

"Uh-huh." She mumbled.

"I'm sorry for the trouble Kaidoh-kun."

"Fshuuuuu. We should eat now."

"Thank you." Maika was relieved that he didn't ask any more questions and they shared the meal in companionable silence.

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"Dad, the most terrible thing happened to me today, and it was all because of you!" Kanehara's dad had got back that afternoon and they were going out for dinner. "I almost fainted in school because I was soooo hungry and a boy in class had to buy me lunch because I didn't have any money." She grumbled to her dad who was listening and trying not to make his lips twitch. This was an old game between them. Every time her dad would forget something, Maika would nag and exaggerate the story and her dad would pretend not to know anything about it.

"A boy?"

"Uh-huh. He's one of the tennis club regulars."

"So he's part of your project. Does this mean you're doing the same thing you did to Riku-chan during ballet?" Her dad was laughing at her. He still remembered what she did to her best friend when they were still in middle school.

"Yes, it's exactly like that! But this time I'm experimenting on the entire tennis club instead of just one person. It's really fun too because the regulars all have these moves and play styles that are so different." Maika proceeded to tell her dad about her work. She got her love of Physics from her dad but he had tried to get her to try other things too. Ballet was one of those things but she had hated it. Maika had only stuck with ballet until middle school because of Riku and the little project she had started. Very much like what she was doing with the tennis club, she had used Physics to improve her friend's dancing.

"If you're mother could see you now... She would be appalled at the way I raised you. You're turning into a workaholic just like me!" Her dad was smiling but she could see that he was sad at remembering her mother. Maika herself wasn't sure what to feel since she didn't have any memories of her mother.

"If she could see me now, mom would be happy at the way I turned out, dad. You've done your best at taking care of me and she would have been proud of you." Maika was glad to see her dad brighten up.

"Look! That's him over there, the boy I was telling you about." Maika had spotted Kaidoh in front of a sporting goods store.

"We should take him to dinner to say thank you." They had stopped on the street across from Kaidoh. "Why don't you call him over, dear?"

"Okay."

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Kaidoh was looking at the new shoes on display when he heard his name being called. Looking around he saw Kanehara-san waving at him from across the street. She looked different. Her hair was loose and the blue dress she wore emphasized how pale her skin was. And she was smiling broadly. Next to her was a tall man with gray hair. She motioned for him to cross the street and she then introduced the older man as her father. Kanehara's dad was far from what Kaidoh imagined a Physics professor looked like. He had wide shoulders and muscled arms. Her dad looked like a soldier. A soldier with gray hair, glasses and a professorial suit.

"Please join us for dinner." The invitation was issued formally and Kaidoh didn't know at what to be more surprised at: Kanehara-san in a dress or the dinner invitation.

"Yes, Kaidoh-kun, please join us for dinner. I've been telling dad about the tennis club and he wants to learn more about it." Kanehara-san was smiling at him. It was so different from her usual expression when talking to him that Kaidoh totally forgot to hiss and let her drag him along into the restaurant.

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Dinner with the Kaneharas proved to be pleasant. At first Kaidoh felt completely at sea with the Physics talk but eventually got comfortable when it moved to tennis. Father and daughter were a lot like each other. Maika's dad was reserved at first but gradually relaxed enough to smile. Kaidoh finally understood the inscrutable expression Kanehara-san usually wore at school. It was a defence mechanism she used in environments she probably felt uncomfortable in, very much like his scowl. Although at his surprise, he had gotten so comfortable with the two that not once did he feel like scowling that night. Although afterwards had been a little awkward.

"Thank you for the good food, Kanehara-san."

"You're welcome Kaidoh-kun but it should be me thanking you for taking care of my daughter." Kaidoh blushed at his words.

"It was alright, I was only trying to help."

"It meant a lot to me and I am glad to know that there is somebody who would care enough for Maika-chan. I am indebted to you, Kaidoh-kun and I would like to ask your favour."

"Huh?"

"Please keep taking care of Maika for me. I know it seems a big responsibility for you but I am asking as one man to another."

"Dad..." Maika blushed at her dad's odd request. It was really weird.

"Yes, I will do my best to look after Kanehara-san. You can count on it." Kaidoh wasn't sure who was more surprised. Maika or him, at the words that had escaped his mouth but her dad had seemed satisfied.

* * *

well, what do you think ne?

looks like we're going somewhere...

and guess what? no classes for two weeks. **two whole weeks!**

woot! R&R pls.


	5. Chapter 5

**disclaimer:** how many times do i have to repeat this? i don't own PoT [if only i could].

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Momo was in a very good mood that day. He and Asai-san had gone to the manga store the other day and it had turned out that they had a lot of things in common. Come to think of it, the Mamushi didn't seem to be that popular with the girls, probably because he looked too fierce.  
But the Mamushi himself didn't seem interested either.  
Maybe the Mamushi was... No, he couldn't assume that. It would be better if he asked him himself.

"Oi Kaidoh! Are you gay?"

"Fshuuuuu! What are you talking about you baka? I'll show you who's gay!" And they were off. Both got up right then and there in the middle of English class to prove to the other that neither one was gay.

Needless to say, both ended up in detention and missed practice.

"Mamushi! Oi! Mamushi!" Momo had been trying to get Kaidoh's attention for the last several minutes and the detention monitor was already giving him dirty looks.

"Fshuuuuu!"

"Oi! Kaidoh, you never answered my question. Are you gay?"

"No!"

"So why don't you go out with girls? I'm sure some won't mind going out with you even if you look like that."

"What's wrong with the way I look?"

"Well, you're always glaring and nobody would want to talk to you. Even Riku-san said you look scary. Or maybe you just don't like girls. So maybe you are gay, but you just don't know it."

Kaidoh rolled his eyes at the stellar way Momo worked things out in his mind. It was useless to argue with him. He still hadn't even realized what they would get for missing practice. 50, no 70 laps was more like it.

It wasn't because he didn't like girls, it was just that he didn't know how to talk to them at all and it seemed that it was all that they wanted to do.

The only girl he had ever felt at ease with was last time with Kanehara-san and she wasn't really like other girls.

She had Physics like he had tennis.

At first she made him uneasy but because she was so serene he had finally gotten comfortable with her.

Yes, serene was the right word. It even suited the way she looked. He didn't think she looked like a geek or anything.

Kanehara-san looked more like a painting. Like one of those English paintings where the ladies were pouring tea or something.

Although she did get pretty serious when it came to Physics and tended to get that scrunched up face when she was figuring out some equations.

But still, it was relaxing to be with her even then. Maybe it was that that had made him agree to her dad's request.

How she somehow looked fragile, especially that time she had almost fainted in the classroom, made him want to take care of her.

She had fitted against him closely and her hair had been heavy yet felt cool against his skin.

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Tezuka-buchou was in a bad mood.

Kaidoh-kun and Momo-kun had missed practice because of some stupid prank in class and Fuji-senpai, Inui-senpai and Eiji-senpai were after her to hear the complete story of the fight.

For some reason the rumours that had gotten out was that both boys were gay and had some lovers' spat which ended up in them hitting each other in class.

Oishi-senpai was all for talking to the boys to get them to make up.

With two of his members missing, another three nagging Kanehara and the vice-captain too busy being a mother hen, Tezuka just snapped.

And it was because of that that the day ended up with everybody running laps for the whole practice.

Even Kawamura-senpai and Echizen-kun who weren't at all involved in the chaos.

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Kanehara left the tennis court early, there wasn't anything for her to do that day, and decided to pass by the ballet club. Looking in the studio reminded her of her classes with Riku. There were even some familiar faces practicing there. Riku just wiggled her brows when she saw Maika who indicated she would wait for her friend outside.

In the hallway, the sound of feet hitting the floor kept time with the counting of Madame Misa, the ballet teacher.

Almost automatically, Maika's feet and arms slid into the first position.  
It was awkward in her school shoes but the movements were still familiar to her body.

Fluidly, she shifted her weight and let her arms follow. Her jetes were in sync with the class. She still hadn't lost touch with dancing.

Momo had left as soon as detention was over but Kaidoh was on his way to the locker rooms to get his gear, he was still going running later.

He stopped in the middle of the hallway, his breath caught in the middle of his throat.

_This_ was what suited Kanehara-san's looks. She moved like wind skimming over water.

The counting had stopped and Maika finished in time with it. A small smile was playing on her lips. This was what she had meant when she told Riku that the basics were soothing. Her mind had completely shut off and had left her body to do what it knew.

When she opened her eyes the first thing she saw was a white-faced Kaidoh.

"Kaidoh-kun..."

"Uh Kanehara-san, sorry for disturbing you."

Kaidoh rushed past her and hurriedly went out of the building.

His heart was beating hard in his chest.

It was beating even harder than after he had finished Inui-senpai's training menu for him.

It was beating harder even than when he was playing a difficult, long stretched out game. His throat was dry.

He was sure that when he had watched Kanehara-san dancing his heart had stopped, so why was it beating this hard now?

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Running cleared his mind and Kaidoh forced himself not to think of anything else for the first few miles. When he finally did he thought of the past few weeks.

He admitted that he had been intimidated by Kanehara-san.

She had looked so severe at first and only loosened up with a few of the club members.

It had irritated him when she got close to that idiot Momoshiro. She intrigued him with the seeming contradictions she presented.

The cold expression on the fine bones of her face. The quiet intensity when she was working and the uninhibited laugh she shared with friends.

The girl in the blue dress who grinned up at her serious father. She made him feel protective.

Earlier he had thought that he had seen the most beautiful sight in his life. He realized now that he saw it every day.

Kaidoh hissed. He was not feeling himself. But he was definitely not gay.

* * *

i love having no classes!

yup yup no classes for two whole weeks! two whole weeks!

**KAIMYHEROx999: **i was having trouble where to get them together but now that they have... woot! thanks for the comment.=)

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Maika and Riku walked home together. Riku-chan was cheerfully chatting about going out with Momo but Maika was barely listening to her friend who was telling her about their coming date on the weekend. Momo had asked her to see some action movie.

"Ne, Maika, you're not listening to me. What's going on?"

"Kaidoh-kun saw me dancing in the hallway."

"You were dancing in the hallway?"

"Yes, you were doing a basic routine and I couldn't resist. He looked weird when he saw me."

"What kind of weird?"

"Well, white-faced, like he saw a ghost or something. Am I that scary Riku-chan? Or maybe I really do dance terribly."

"White-faced, huh? He was probably just blown away at how well you can dance." Riku tried to imagine the fierce-looking Kaidoh-kun scared but couldn't quite make it.

"Do you think I look terrible Riku?" Maika looked at her friend whose very short hair accentuated her large eyes and pixie-like features. "Or maybe just plain? I think plain would be even worse because then nobody would notice me at all."

"Of course not!" Riku gawked at her friend. "You're beautiful! Like a princess... You know sort of regal looking."

"I know what you mean. Like the Ice Queen."

"Not at all. You just have to get to know people better before you can relax around them. And they sort of get intimidated because you're so smart. It's like Fuji-senpai, he's still a bit scary because he's a tensai, even if he's always smiling, right?" Riku shrugged. As far as she was concerned people were missing a lot by not getting to know Maika.

"So you think Kaidoh-kun won't think I look terrible?"

"Of course not." _So that was it... _Maika was worried about a boy.

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Kaidoh avoided looking in Kanehara-san's direction. He had stubbed a toe while running the other day when he had finally come to his conclusion.

It was bad enough that Momoshiro was blabbing to the other regulars about his half-baked ideas about Kaidoh's supposed identity crisis but the Buchou had been so mad that they were still running laps that day.

Kaidoh could feel Echizen's glare burning through his back. _Don't blame _me_, it's all that stupid baka's fault. _He hissed and ran.

Maika looked at the regulars running laps around the courts, it looked like she would be going home early again today. Maybe she should pass by the physics club room and see what was going on. After asking permission from a stone-faced Tezuka, Maika left the courts.

Kaidoh looked over when Maika left, she hadn't looked that well. _Maybe she hadn't eaten again that day._

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Fuji decided to pass by the photography club room after practice. Although not exactly an official member he liked to keep a hand in on his other interests.

The club had some very good new members, Fuji was satisfied to find out and as he waved goodbye to some of his friends he saw Kanehara-san leaving an adjacent room. The physics club was right next door to the photography club.

"Saa, Kanehara-san, wait up!"

"Fuji-senpai!"

"Are you going home already?" Kanehara-san looked so cute when she was caught off guard.

"Yes, I just looked in on the club to ask for some help with the tennis club data."

"How is your data, by the way?"

"Well, I have very good data on the rest of the regulars but because Tezuka-buchou and Inui-senpai rarely play, I don't have much on them yet."

"What about me?"

"I haven't figured it out yet, Fuji-senpai." Kanehara blushed. To be honest, she had loads of data that she had collected but she didn't know what to do about it. Fuji-senpai had utterly foiled her plans with his endless variations on his moves.

"Am I that much trouble Kanehara-san? Fuji smiled at her, it was like he was reading her mind.

"Oh no, senpai! It's just that there's so much that I haven't organized yet."

"Saa... Then maybe I can help. I can understand some physics myself and Inui is too busy right now with the team."

"But I don't want to bother you senpai."

"You won't, I'm sure I'll enjoy it. We can even start on it now."

"Only if you're sure."

"I am. Let's work on it in the library."

Kaidoh was not waiting for Kanehara-san to come out of the school. He was just appreciating how it looked in the sunset. He didn't buy the yogurt for her. The two cups were for him alone because yogurt was his favourite snack. He just didn't feel like eating it right away.

Maybe she had gone on ahead after all. The school already looked deserted and he still had to go for his evening run. Kaidoh shifted his pack on his shoulder and dumped the soggy cups of yogurt into the trash.

He was about to leave when the school's front doors opened. It was Fuji-senpai and Kanehara-san.

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Maika didn't expect to be able to relax with Fuji-senpai but she did. Riku was right, she really did need to get to know somebody better before she could relax around them. Fuji had been apologetic when he saw the folder she kept his data in. The list alone for the tsubame gaeshi was twelve pages long.

"I _have_ been a lot of trouble for you Kanehara-san. I knew what you and Inui were doing and I did this on purpose."

"I know that Fuji-senpai but I don't really mind. That just makes it more challenging." She smiled up at him.

Fuji-senpai had looked weird then. His eyes had flown open in surprise.

"Saa, you shouldn't do that."

"Do what?"

"Smile all of a sudden like that, it's going to give me a heart attack."

"Only if you don't open your eyes all of a sudden like that because it's going to give _me _a heart attack."

They had both burst out laughing. The time had moved fast then as they were both busy arranging the sheets of paper into different folders and if the librarian hadn't told them to leave they wouldn't have noticed how late it was getting.

"Let's continue this some other time Fuji-senpai. I had fun working with you."

"Glad to be of service. Hey, do you want to eat some food? It'll be my treat." Fuji smiled.

"Thanks but I think I'll pass this time. I didn't leave a message at home that I would be late."

When they were going out the school doors, Maika saw Kaidoh throw something inside the trash can.

"Kaidoh-kun!" Fuji called out to the other boy.

"Fuji-senpai, Kanehara-san." Kaidoh looked at one and then the other. Maika for some reason felt guilty, like she had been caught doing something wrong.

"You haven't left yet? Why don't you walk home with us?" Fuji invited Kaidoh.

"Alright."

"Fuji-senpai was helping me arrange my data on the tennis club." Maika felt the need to explain. She didn't like the tension in the air and she missed the look of disappointment that flashed on Fuji's face. Nobody answered her and all three sank into silence.

_This must be what a third wheel feels like._ Fuji wasn't a tensai for nothing. He had a fairly good idea what Kaidoh was doing in school at a time when he would usually already be running. He had also seen what Kaidoh had thrown in the trash. But nobody had staked his claim had he? So there was time yet.

_Was he already too late?_ Not anybody could compete with Fuji-senpai. But didn't Kanehara-san say that they had only been organizing data? Kaidoh glanced at Maika. He couldn't see her face because her hair was hanging like a curtain between them. Over her head, he looked at Fuji-senpai. The older boy wasn't smiling. He was quite serious and was looking straight ahead. Feeling Kaidoh's stare, he turned to the younger boy with raised eyebrows.

_What is going on? _The three of them really weren't talkers but the silence was weighing on Maika's nerves. She looked up at the two boys and almost gasped. Kaidoh-kun was staring at Fuji-senpai with hostility and the older boy had the coldest expression she had ever seen. Her step faltered. The two boys didn't break eye contact.

"Saa, Kanehara-san. I think I'll go ahead now. I have to go somewhere else." Fuji-senpai addressed Maika but he was still looking at Kaidoh-kun.

"Alright, Fuji-senpai." Fuji crossed the street and was swallowed up by the heavy foot traffic.

"What was that about Kaidoh-kun? Did something happen?" Kaidoh only shook his head and looked at Maika searchingly. He looked like he wanted to say something.

"Is it alright for you to be out this late Kanehara-san?" It had already gotten dark and the traffic was mostly made up of commuters. Maika just shrugged.

"I forgot nobody's home today. Dad had to go to some seminar for the university."

"Then I should take you home. Your dad said to look out for you." Strangely Maika felt disappointed at his words. At least Fuji-senpai had really seemed to want to spend time with her but Kaidoh was just doing it because of some odd request her dad had made.

"What was going on back there? Did something happen during practice?" Maika reminded him.

"Just something between men, Kanehara-san. But I'm not backing down." He was looking straight into her eyes. Confused, Maika decided to let it drop.

* * *

Unfortunately, vipers and physics will have to stagnate for a while at this point. [So sorry.] I actually already wrote chapter 7 for this story but I just wasn't satisfied with it. It felt too much like a filler.

I got an idea for _The Secret Life of Inui Sadaharu_ and I didn't want to let go lest I forget it. So I'll be working on that for the moment. You guys might want to have a look at it, you'll probably find yourself looking at Inui in a different light. I know I did.

Thanks!=)


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